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Pokemon TCG Pocket’s quirky yellow chicken, Oricorio, has taken the metagame by storm, shifting the balance against the once-feared ex cards. So, how do you build the perfect deck around this deceptively fragile Pokemon? We’ve got you covered.
After analyzingrecentPockettournaments, we’ve found that the Oricorio-Luxray lineup offers the highest potential. While other variants, like Oricorio-Magnezone and Oricorio-Tapu Koko, exist, this particular build has the highest win rate and is the most likely to rise throughPokemon TCG Pocket’s PvP ranks in the near future.
There are currently fourdifferent Oricorio cards inPokemon TCG Pocket: two Psychic-type, one Fire-type, and one Lightning-type. The Lightning-type variant has made the most impact, with the ability to nullify ex Pokemon’s damage.
The other three Oricorio variants also feature unique effects tied to their attacks, which are as follows:
Currently,the best-performing Oricorio deckis the Luxray variant. The strategy revolves around using Luxray as the primary damage dealer while stalling the opponent with Oricorio. Rare Candy plays a crucial role, speeding up the evolution from Shinx to Luxray and bypassing the need for Luxio.
Volkner is another key cardin the Oricorio-Luxray deck, allowing you to recover discarded Lightning Energy and build up two attacking Luxray and two Oricorio.
To further improve consistency, cards like Iono and Pokemon Communication help increase the chances of drawing the necessary cards. The ideal opening hand in this setup includes Oricorio, Shinx, Luxray, and Rare Candy.
Oricorio-Luxray Deck Strategy
You can create a budget variant of Oricorio decks using the following Pokemon: Oricorio (Lightning), Tapu Koko, and Shaymin (Triumphant Light). This deck focuses on stalling with Oricorio while building up Tapu Koko. Thanks to Shaymin’s ability and Tapu Koko’s automatic switch effect, you can freely switch between the two cards to maintain pressure on your opponent.
Here are some tips to make the most of Oricorio:
Oricorio’s Meta Performance Report
Less than a week afterthe release ofPokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians set, Oricorio has already secured a spot in the metagame. While it’s still early to draw any firm conclusions, it’s clear that this silly Pokemon will continue to boast a high win rate in PvP and likely take up an even bigger share of the meta soon.
How to Counter Oricorio
Despite being a strong Pokemon, Oricorio struggles againstTCG Pocket’s non-ex decks. Regardless, the best counters at the moment are the emerging Decidueye ex Meowscarada decks and the reliable Rampardos & Lucario setups.
As of this writing, no tournament match has been recorded where an Oricorio deck has defeated Decidueye ex or Lucario decks. As a result, these two decks have a 100% win rate against the popular anti-ex chicken inTCG Pocket.
The Future of Oricorio in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Meta
Oricorio has already made its mark onPokemon TCG Pocket’s meta, but the question remains: will it stay a fixture in PvP, or will it fade away?
Based on what we’ve seen so far, cards like Oricorio—those with universal synergy and prerequisite-free abilities—are unlikely to become obsolete.Darkrai ex and Magneton(Genetic Apex) are prime examples of such cards. Their easy-to-trigger, practical abilities have kept them relevant through various shifts in the metagame. Oricorio seems set to join this group.
It’s easy to envision Oricorio maintaining a strong position inthe future ofPokemon TCG Pocket’s metagame. Even if non-ex decks dominate, whenever the tide shifts back toward ex-heavy lineups, the weird yellow chicken will rise in popularity and step in to counter those powerful cards.
